Simon Brittle, 45, has been jailed for eight years after biting off his girlfriend's nose at a motorcycle rally

A biker who bit his girlfriend’s nose off leaving a 'gaping bloody hole' in what a judge described as a 'bestial' attack has been jailed for eight years.

Simon Brittle, from Rotherham, bent down as if to kiss his girlfriend Heidi Smith’s nose but instead took a large bite, leaving her face pouring with blood.

Hull Crown Court heard that Ms Smith, 44, from Nottingham, had a hole looking like 'half a ping-pong ball' where her nose used to be after the attack at a three-day motorcycle rally at South Dalton, near Beverley in East Yorkshire.

She was rushed to hospital where plastic surgeons grafted skin from her hip on to her nose, but the court was told Miss Smith, a civil servant, was left with a 'pointy witch' appearance after reconstructive surgery.

The attack happened at Motorcycle Action Group's Into the Valley Rally in May, and was witnessed by Sally Pearson, who told the court she could hear Miss Smith's screams above the loud music as she was pinned to the floor.

She said she brushed Miss Smith’s hair away from her face and 'realised at once her nose was gone.'

Ms Pearson added: 'Her nose was missing. There was a gaping bloody hole where her nose should have been.'

The witness said she stayed with the distraught woman as she made a tearful call to her mother in Derbyshire to tell her a man had just bitten her nose off and she should come and pick up her motorcycle as she was on her way to hospital.

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The court heard that Brittle had been in a relationship with his victim for four months, and that it was a turbulent relationship that Miss Smith was too frightened to finish.

Two days before the motorcycle event in the grounds of the Dalton estate, Brittle sent her a message on Facebook saying: 'I’m really looking forward to f****** you up over the weekend - take plenty of bodyguards.

'Here’s to a happy rally season. You don’t know what I am capable of.'

Philip Evans, prosecuting, said that on the day of the attack Brittle became loud, drunk and aggressive, threatening to stab one man and accusing another of sleeping with Ms Smith.

Heidi Smith, 44, says she has had to move from her home of 10 years because of the terrifying attack on her

He then began punching and slapping her before twisting her arm, forcing her to the ground and straddling her.

Mr Evans said: 'He pushed his thumb in her eye socket.

'That was painful, she screamed out for help, but other people thought it was a couple in an amorous embrace.

'But Sally Pearson heard a chilling scream. Others described it as blood-curdling.

'Sally Pearson took hold of Mr Brittle’s shoulder and shouted at him. The defendant was calm and Ms Pearson said he had a blank expression.

'She was told to get off. He lowered his head, as if they were going to kiss. Heidi Smith then let out an intense scream.'

Ms Smith fell back on the floor holding her hands to her face in a pool of blood.

Defence barrister John Thackray said: 'There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. He is disgusted with himself. He was drunk.

'There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. He is disgusted with himself. He was drunk.'

- Defence barrister John Thackray

'He has gone from being a loyal partner, a good father and working man.

'There was a breakdown in the relationship. He lost his work, became a carer for his father and suffered from depression.'

Sentencing Brittle, who admitted wounding with intent, Judge Mark Bury told him: 'The use of your teeth was plainly the use of a weapon. This was not just in public. This was in full view of Heidi Smith’s friends.'

He jailed Brittle for eight years and imposed an indefinite restraining order on him contacting Miss Smith.

Miss Smith has now had to move from the home she lived in for a decade as Brittle knew where where she lived.

In a victim impact statement she said: 'I think it will be a long time before I can trust a man or be alone with them.

'I don't feel like me any more; I am embarrassed by this... I feel like people judge me'

- Victim Heidi Smith, 44

'I don’t feel like me anymore; I am embarrassed by this. I have had to relive the incident over and over again as work colleagues asked me what happened.

'I have tried to ignore it, but it being my nose, I can’t hide it or cover it up. I feel like people judge me and I think I have done something to deserve it.

'My family have been affected by this. My mother had to deal with me screaming down the telephone. I cannot imagine having a boyfriend again.'

Four months after the May 4 attack , Miss Smith said she still had problems with her arm movement where Brittle had twisted it.

She is also unable to pursue her hobbies of motorcycling and skiing because her nose is painful when she is cold.

She added: 'I have to move from the home I have been in for 10 years. This incident has changed my life forever.'

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Biker who bit off girlfriend's nose 2 days after sending Facebook threats is jailed for 8 years